


Cruel Twist

by PhantomGrimalkin



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Everyone Is Poly Because Avengers, M/M, Multiple Soulmates, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Sometimes your soulmate is a dick and you hate each other but it's okay?, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-30
Updated: 2016-02-05
Packaged: 2018-03-09 15:41:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3255272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantomGrimalkin/pseuds/PhantomGrimalkin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pummeling them to the floor for trying to enslave humanity probably isn't the absolute worst way to discover someone's your soulmate. But it's sure up there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The battle was amazing. Teammates. People fighting  _alongside_ . Trusting. 

Of course, it was also terrible, but Hulk wasn't such a complex thinker. In the back of his mind, the part of him that was still Banner was aware of the bad. The property damage, the people who were losing everything, the deaths, the terror of being invaded by aliens. It was swiftly giving way to marvel that the team was actually treating him as a valued member, though.

Hulk grinned as he took down another leviathan. He could get used to this.

The chase between Natasha and Loki came into view and he made his way towards them. His timing was perfect, landing on Stark Tower seconds after Loki did. He slammed into the demigod, throwing both of them into the tower's lounge. Hulk was only dimly aware of what the building was, that it had meaning, Banner trying to supply information through the fog.

“ _Enough!_ ” 

Hulk actually paused, letting Loki speak. It quickly became clear that this wasn't an offer to surrender, and the behemoth couldn't be bothered listening any longer. A giant green hand wrapped around the slim frame.

Pain shot up his arm. Burning and stabbing all at once. Hulk was used to pain, only let it fuel his attack, didn't understand what it meant. Banner didn't seem to realize either, and so they continued focusing on the fight. The pain was receding. The villain was subdued.

Team needed him.

\----

Bruce came to in the lounge of Stark Tower, a red cape that he soon recognized as Thor's draped over him. He sat up and felt a stinging on his shoulder. The wound from Loki flashed across his mind and he frowned. It was hard to wound the Hulk, and he almost never kept them after the transformation. There was definitely something wrong if that had happened.

Risking a glance down at his shoulder, mind whizzing with worse-case scenarios, he felt his blood run cold at what he saw. There, in delicate cursive was the name 'Loki'. He curled into himself, clasping a hand to his shoulder to cover the name and tried to work out how to get clothes without anyone finding out.

“Hey, Big Guy, finally awake?” Tony walked into the room and grinned at him. “C'mon, we need to get you some clothes so we can all go get shawarma.”

Bruce nodded, making his way to standing and awkwardly arranging the cape to cover his shoulder. Tony raised an eyebrow at that.

“Hiding your soulmate? Guess I can't blame you, bet you're looking forward to being able to see the lucky lady-or-gentleman now that you're stateside, huh?”

Bruce scoffed at that. Tony weedled him about it, about needing to strut, about how he was a hero and deserved to reap the benefits. That went on for a few moments before Bruce finally shifted the cape, revealing the name. Tony shut his mouth mid-sentence and just stared at him. Uncomfortably, Bruce shifted the cape back over his shoulder.

“So I've got some great clothes, you're about my size, they'll fit alright, but I can get a good tailor in for you later if you want- gotta say, I like the idea of seeing you in a well-fitting suit,” Tony shot him a wink, leading him down the hallway. Bruce relaxed at that, once again amazed by Tony.

\---

When they got to the restaurant, exhaustion and hunger drove out all other thoughts. It was oddly comforting to just be around people who knew what he was without any fear or tension. The entire situation was incredibly surreal. Or would have been, if he had enough energy to think about anything but getting as much food into his stomach as possible.

All of the Avengers slept like the dead that night, save possibly for Thor. The next day, they joined up again to see Thor and Loki off. For the rest of the team it was probably some sort of closure, Bruce wanted nothing more than to run the opposite direction. At one point he made eye contact with Loki and felt his blood run cold again. The demigod's expression didn't change even slightly. It raised the question of whether or not Loki even knew, he wasn't human, he wasn't even from this planet.

They went their separate ways and somehow Tony managed to talk Bruce into staying with him.

* * *

Life with Tony was a whirlwind. It was so easy to get caught up in it, looking back without being able to tell how you ended up where you were. Which was how Tony ended up helping Bruce figure out _exactly_ how radioactive his blood was. And saliva.

So, really, it was only logical that he wound up with Tony's condom-wrapped cock buried in him, bent over a lab table, being jerked off into a sample cup.

When they finished, Tony was immediately bringing the sample cup to be tested- before even bothering to get pants on. Bruce took a few minutes to compose himself, trying to wrap his brain around what had happened. About half an hour later, Tony was back in his lab with the results. Which he shared by shoving Bruce against a wall, kneeling down and undoing the physicists pants while murmuring how much he had wanted to do this.

* * *

The first time they were actually going to have sex in bed skidded to an abrupt halt when Bruce went to take off his shirt and remembered what was there. They ended up snuggled up instead, Tony gently playing with Bruce's curls.

“Is yours blank?” Bruce asked gently, plucking at the shirt that covered Tony's shoulder.

Tony shook his head with a sigh, shifting so he could take his shirt off. 'Steven Grant Rogers' was written in firm handwriting. Bruce bolted up, practically leaping out of the bed.

“But he, you...” he gasped out.

Tony placed a hand on his shoulder and guided him back down, “Aren't married, big guy. I can't stand the guy. We've never talked about it, he left without a word. I found out he was doing a road trip when Clint told me.” He shifted his shoulder under a pillow. “I don't know, maybe we'll end up working it out but right now- he doesn't own me, and I'm happy with what I've got with you. If he gets back, he's gotta get over it.”

* * *

After a few months, Bruce got the itch to go back into the trenches and help people. There was still the threat of Ross coming after him or the Avengers needing him, so he agreed to keep a StarkPhone on hand. Unfortunately, it was in his bag and got stolen. He had managed without help for so long that he didn't think anything of it.

As a result, he didn't hear about the Mandarin debacle until it was over. Briefly he wondered if it was partly his fault, if Tony would have been so self-destructive if Bruce had been there. He had long ago learned how not to dwell on the past, though, and just focused on getting back and being there to help deal with the fall out.

* * *

When Steve had found out he was going to be working with Howard Stark's son, he wasn't sure how to feel. When his son turned out to be an egotistical jerk and bully, he knew exactly how to feel. When he felt a searing pain shooting up his arm, saw the other man's name emblazoned on his shoulder, beneath Bucky's name that was as fresh as it always had been, he was again at a loss.

So he shoved all thoughts to the back of his mind. They were in the middle of a crisis, he couldn't focus on fate's cruel sense of humor. While he did realize that he was wrong about his initial impression of the man, he also knew that he still had no interest in a relationship with anyone, least of all Tony Stark.

When Natasha suggested he go on a road trip to reacquaint himself with America, well, he may have jumped at it a little too quickly. Then he finished the road trip, moved to DC, and was having progressively more trouble coming up with excuses for staying away.

The simple fact was that he had no interest in Tony Stark as anything beyond a team mate. He was still trying to accept Bucky was gone. He knew the other man was, of course he was, but the name was still emblazoned on him. There was no line indicating he'd died. Of course, that was just a fluke, a mistake, it didn't mean Bucky was still alive. It couldn't.

Except it did. When he finally realized who the Winter Soldier was, he couldn't even bring himself to be shocked Bucky was alive- just horrified at what had been done to him. He had known, always known, and now he had to save his first soulmate before he had any hope of sorting out his second.

* * *

Thor's fight in London was, of course, televised. It was amazing what some news crews would go through just to get a story. Tony and Bruce watched it, debating whether or not they should get involved. Fortunately, Thor had it handled well enough. It was over before they could come to an agreement. Instead, they both went there to help pick up the pieces.

“It's good PR,” Tony insisted.

While Tony handled the PR and sorting out how to give aid to help rebuild London, Bruce met up with Jane. For a few minutes they both gushed about the others' research, before the reality of the situation finally fell back over them. Everything that had happened came rushing out of Jane in a torrent of confused emotions.

“And Loki- he, he _helped_ us. He died trying to save everyone,” she added, running a hand through her hair, “I just don't understand.”

“He _died_?” Bruce asked with a frown, resisting the impulse to touch his shoulder.

Jane nodded, “Before we came back to Earth, before the battle in London, he got Malekith to take the Aether out of me, and then...” She shook her head again. “I don't know how to feel.”

Bruce placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. On the flight over he had glanced at his mark again, wondering if there was a chance he would run into Loki and how he would feel if he had. It was still unmarred, there was no strike to indicate Loki had died. It was possible, he supposed, that Loki dying on another world, or even just not being human, could have led to that.

Somehow, he doubted that was the case.

“When I first met Thor, and got his mark, I thought my soulmate was a crazy person. As I got to know him, I realized he was kind and had a good heart. Then I found out he was a God. I was overwhelmed, sure I didn't deserve the honor,” she shrugged, “But he spends so much time away, every time I see him it's because the world is coming to an end.”

“That must be so hard,” Bruce offered. Jane just nodded, and they sat in silence while she composed herself.

She chuckled slightly, “I'm sorry, I shouldn't have dumped all of that on you. You barely even know me.”

“Well, we have a mutual friend in Erik and we've both been thrown into this crazy superhero stuff, so I think it's alright,” he offered with a smile. Finally, the question he'd been dying to ask slipped out, “Does Thor have a mark as well?”

Jane paused, then nodded, “He does, Thor said that the marks are universal across all realms.”

“Huh,” Bruce said quietly, “That's interesting.” He glanced out the window. There were storefronts across the street, a few people and cars passing by. None of them caught his attention as he once again felt his mind wandering to his absent soulmate.

* * *

 

Life managed to somehow settle down. SHIELD was gone, but Fury (and Coulson, much to everyone's rage) was rebuilding it. Tony's life had been public spectacle long enough that the information leak barely hurt him. Bruce was enough of an unknown and had had his name dragged through the mud long enough that it wasn't much of a change for him, either. Natasha and Clint had the hardest time adjusting, out of the Avengers, but they managed it just fine without Tony's help.

They managed to go a few weeks without any sort of catastrophe and life was starting to actually feel normal. Bruce worked for Tony, officially, doing research and assisting in Stark Industry's projects. Unofficially, they were still science bros and occasional bedmates and it worked somehow.

Bruce fell into the habit of visiting local farmer's markets, enjoying the atmosphere and appreciating the quality of food he could bring home. Tony would always gripe that he had _people_ for that but Bruce just smiled and went anyways. He even didn't mind navigating the New York sidewalks with a few bags of groceries, no one ever gave him a second glance.

For the most part, he didn't give anyone else a second glance, either. Which is why he very nearly walked past the patio of a cafe, stopping mid-step as he realized what he thought he had seen. He turned around, taking another look at the man sitting there and drawing the ire of those behind him.

It was Loki. His hair was pulled back in a pony tail and he wore a sweater over a collared shirt, reading some book and sipping coffee at a New York City cafe. Or maybe it was just someone who looked very much like him.

Bruce made his way over, standing in front of the man's table with an odd look on his face. The man flitted his eyes towards Bruce and put his book down, gently shifting his bookmark. If he was surprised, he made no note of it.

“Dr. Banner,” he said softly, raising an eyebrow.

“Loki?” Bruce asked, voice barely a whisper.

The man's lip twitched slightly before finally curving up into a small smile. He motioned to the chair across from him and Bruce sat down. Neither of them said anything. They both examined the other while pointedly avoiding actually making eye contact. After what felt like an eternity of that, Bruce's impulses finally got the better of his common sense and he reached over and placed his hand on Loki's cheek.

Loki jerked slightly, emotions passed over his face and he twitched his face as if he were going to say something. Instead, he closed his eyes and just leaned into the touch.


	2. Chapter 2

Somehow, they made their way to Loki's apartment without saying a word to each other. It was in a more run-down part of town, which initially struck Bruce as odd. Surely a Prince of Asgard wouldn't be willing to accept less-than-optimum conditions. When they actually got to the apartment, it was far more what he expected. Elegant, modern, everything clean and white, it wouldn't have looked at all out of place in Tony's penthouse.

It looked like a show model, though. Generic paintings, everything perfectly in place, no real sign that anyone lived there. The bookshelf was covered with impeccably arranged books. All encyclopedias and a few classics that all looked as though they had never been opened.

“I'll put your bags in the kitchen,” Loki said quietly, “Make yourself at home.” Bruce gave him a small smile at that, but had no idea how to. Instead, he waited a few minutes and followed Loki into the kitchen.

The bags were laid neatly on an island counter top, and Loki was hunched over it. His hair covered his face, but looked scraggly, his clothes seemed more worn than they had seemed a few moments ago. Bruce walked over and placed a hand on his back. Loki initially tensed into the touch, then took a deep breath and straightened himself, smoothing his hair back to its initial glory.

“Loki, I just want to say that I'm sorry- about everything...” he sighed, “About _me_.” Briefly he realized he had just quoted a movie, wondering if Tony really was a bad influence on him. He didn't want to think about Tony right then.

Loki looked at him and raised an eyebrow. When he didn't say anything in response, Bruce just shrugged, “I don't really know what I'm doing, but I know that... that if I could have chosen, I never wanted us to find out the way we did. Whatever ends up happening between us, I'm sorry.”

For another long moment that left Bruce fidgeting uncomfortably, Loki watched him. Flickers of emotion crossed his face, but ultimately he kept his gaze neutral. Finally, he said, “I suppose we all have our regrets, Dr. Banner.”

“You _can_ call me Bruce,” he pointed out with a weak grin.

Loki nodded at that. Without another word, he stepped into Bruce's face and tangled a hand in Bruce's wild curls. He pulled Bruce into a kiss that was surely supposed to be fiery and possessive, but betrayed too much insecurity. It was cool and pleading and Bruce quickly found himself lost in it, returning it with as much reassurance as he could muster. When his hands started wandering, Bruce finally realized what they were doing and pulled away as gently as he could manage, instead placing his head on Loki's shoulder and pulling him into a hug.

“Not yet.”

As soon as he said this, Loki jerked away from him, glaring at him with wild and confused eyes before regaining his composure.

“We've only just met, I don't,” he licked his lips, “I don't trust you yet, and you shouldn't trust me.”

“Sex doesn't require trust,” Loki pointed out, crossing his arms.

Bruce clenched his jaw before calming down again, “It does for me.”

Loki pursed his lips and took a few steps away from him, “Very well. Leave.” He gestured to the door. Bruce paused, and Loki sighed, “This won't be the last you see of me, but I want you to go now.”

* * *

When Bruce got back to the tower, the first thing he did was go to the labs. Tony was there, which he wasn't sure whether to view as a blessing or a curse. He collapsed into a chair, prompting Tony to look up.

“Bad day, big guy?” Tony asked, putting down his tools and walking over.

Bruce laughed at that, desperate and pained and horrible. Fortunately it didn't last long, and he threw his arms into the air. “I ran into Loki! I ran into Loki and I--” he looked at his hands, “Goddammit I forgot my bags.”

“This is why I use the personal shoppers,” Tony said with a lopsided smile, watching him.

With a more genuine laugh, Bruce stood up. “I have realized two very important things.” He placed his hands on Tony's shoulders, “The first, is that I love you. The second is that I want Loki in my life.” His head dropped, “And I have no idea how to make those two things work.”

For a few minutes, they just stood there like that, before Tony finally nudged Bruce's face up. “Hey, we'll sort it out, okay?” Bruce gave him a confused look and Tony just shrugged. “Look, we both went into this knowing we had other soulmates. I want you for as long as you'll have me, even if Capsicle did show up right this second and sweep me off my feet- I'd still want you.” Bruce's shoulders relaxed and Tony pulled him into a hug. “It's going to be messy, but we'll figure this out, okay? I'm willing to try if you are.”

Bruce sagged against Tony, “I probably would have had sex with him if it weren't for you, he tried to start it but...” He shook his head, “I didn't think it was a good idea to tell him about us and I know I can't do anything so big until I do.”

Tony snorted at that. He stepped away and held Bruce at arm's length. “Alright, big guy, I think you know what this means- we need to take a break until you've got things sorted out with him.” Bruce pouted at that and he just chuckled in reply. “We can still do science together, but...”

“I know, you're right,” Bruce rubbed his face, “I hate it when you're right.” He frowned at Tony, “Why are we both ignoring the fact that I'm so attached to a freaking supervillain?”

Tony shrugged, “The merchant of death and an unstoppable monster _may_ have a slightly skewed sense of decency. I'm personally trying to ignore that fact and believe you're a big boy who has enough sense to take care of yourself and not let the world crumble around us.”

“Yeah... After finding out he helped Thor out, I guess I really want to believe he can change. Most of us got second chances,” Bruce agreed. He leaned over to give Tony a kiss, stopping himself and groaning, “This is hard!”

“Well, that's what cold showers are for,” Tony teased.

* * *

It wasn't until after speaking with Tony that Bruce realized he had absolutely no way of contacting Loki. He was entirely leaving it up to the demigod to decide whether or not to, and Loki could easily just decide to never see him again. After giving it a few days, he finally got sick of that set up and made his way back to Loki's apartment. One of the lights had gone out in the hallway, leaving it looking dingy. He frowned at it but shook himself, instead knocking on the door. It opened a small amount, allowing only Loki's confused and suspicious eyes to be seen. Behind him, his apartment was dark, and Bruce briefly wondered if he'd woken the man. The door shut, but before Bruce had the chance to knock again it was flung open and Loki just smirked at him with an eyebrow raised.

The demigod was dressed as impeccably as ever, wearing a button down shirt, slacks and a blazer. His hair was simply combed back and the apartment had brightened again.

“Well, this is a surprise,” Loki said casually.

“You didn't give me a way to contact you,” Bruce pointed out. Before he could get a response, he held up a rose. “I wanted to ask you on a date.”

Loki stared at the rose for a moment before finally reaching out. He hesitated before taking it, as if expecting it to disappear or be taken away. His fingers delicately wrapped around the stem, careful of the thorns. With a flick of his wrist, a glass vase appeared in his other hand, and he placed the flower in it.

“That's beautiful,” Bruce said, trying not to stare in disbelief at the show of magic. Loki just smiled at him.

“I suppose it would be appropriate to let you take me out,” Loki said quietly. He tapped his lips thoughtfully, “Tomorrow night, 7 o'clock.”

“I'll be here,” Bruce agreed, “I'll ask Pepper about the best fancy restaurants.” He leaned over to give Loki a quick kiss on the cheek. As he made his way back down the hallway, Loki simply stared after him.

* * *

Asking Pepper for a restaurant suggestion was actually a daunting task. She had known about Bruce and Tony's relationship before either of them did, and he was left with having to lie and say it was for Tony (who would never want to be taken to such a place as a date), or answer a series of uncomfortable questions. Finally, he went with the truth. Part of it, at least.

“I found my soulmate, and I thought it'd be good to make a nice impression,” he said, fidgeting nervously. Pepper's eyes widened and she smirked at him.

“Wow, that's wonderful, who is it?”

“You've never met,” Bruce said.

She raised an eyebrow at the evasion but didn't push. Instead she frowned, “What does this mean for you and Tony?”

“We don't know,” he said quietly, looking away.

Pepper finally did suggest a restaurant for him, as well as making an appointment with a tailor to get him a decent suit. She warned him about what the bill would likely come to, giving him a kind smile at the look of horror on his face.

“If this really is the right person for you, they won't need something so extravagant very often- just enjoy yourself, Bruce!” she insisted.

* * *

As a result of Pepper's meddling, Bruce showed up to the apartment looking as well manicured as Loki. He was in an unbearably expensive suit that fit him perfectly, something very odd to get used to after years of relying on baggy clothes. His shoes cost more than the average person made in a month. His nails had been done and she had gotten a stylist in to tame his hair. Tony had stared at him hungrily when he asked how he looked, but he felt completely out of place. With a deep breath, he knocked on Loki's door.

It opened, revealing Loki in a suit as well. It was navy and his hair was cut to a shorter length. Bruce noticed the haircut with a pang of sadness that he hadn't expected, but knew better than to say anything. Upon seeing Bruce, Loki simply stared in disbelief.

“You clean up well,” the demigod murmured, reaching out and fingering the lapel of his suit.

The restaurant was the fanciest Bruce had ever been to. The kind of fancy that he had only seen in movies and hadn't fully believed existed. Bruce managed to recognize a handful of celebrities and politicians, and was impressed that there hadn't even been any paparazzi when they had walked in. Bruce did his best to hold his head high and look as if he belonged. Loki fit right in, quickly taking over.

“You weren't joking about the 'best fancy restaurant',” Loki commented. When he opened the menu, his eyes widened but he quickly returned to a detached expression.

Bruce chuckled slightly, eyeing the menu for something he recognized. Finally he closed the menu and smiled at Loki. “I don't know how familiar you are with this cuisine, but if you have any idea what would be good, I'm happy to leave ordering up to you. Don't worry about the cost. And I mean that.”

Loki raised an eyebrow at that. He looked back down at the menu and closed it moments later. With a practiced gesture he drew the waiter over, pronouncing the French dishes perfectly and selecting a wine to go with them. Bruce watched in awe.

When the food arrived, Bruce noticed Loki's hands shaking. Bruce's were as well, and he smiled to know Loki was more nervous than he let on.

After a delicious meal and Bruce successfully not batting an eye at the check, which he refused to let Loki see, they finally stood.

“I suppose now is the time when I ask if you want to go back to your place,” Bruce murmured softly.

Loki tilted his head to the side, “Why not yours?”

Bruce paused at that, “I just thought you wouldn't want to, I mean...”

“Would it be a problem?”

“No, I'll just warn Tony,” Bruce replied, taking out his phone.

Loki frowned at him, “Stark knows?”

Bruce glanced up in surprise, “Yeah, I...” he looked back down at his phone, “I tell him everything.”

“He doesn't mind?” Loki added, crossing his arms.

“I won't say he's _happy_ , but he trusts me to make my own choices,” Bruce gave him a lop-sided smile, “And I'm probably the best person to be around you if you _did_ want to go rogue, I mean...”

“Of course,” Loki said flatly, although his lips twitched upwards. He shifted his weight, “Does this mean you're ready?”

“No,” Bruce admitted, “But we can always spend the night without, well...”

Loki frowned at him again.

* * *

 

The evening was actually comfortable. They talked easily on a variety of topics, although neither delved into anything personal. Gradually, the topic of sleep had to come up, and that changed. Lending Loki pajamas that he was sure were not up to the demigod's standards drove home what he had agreed to. Suddenly he felt immensely self-conscious. When Loki came out, with Bruce's over-sized shirt slipping off his slender frame and the sweatpants that weren't actually long enough, looking just as insecure as Bruce felt. Just sleeping in the same bed suddenly seemed like a much more daunting task.

When they first got into bed, Loki pressed a finger under Bruce's chin, “Still insisting you aren't ready, Dr. Banner?”

“I'm sorry,” he replied softly, placing a kiss on Loki's lips, “Be patient with me?” Loki leaned back and tilted his head slightly.

It took about a dozen tries before they finally found a position they were both comfortable in. They managed to get through it with light jokes and nervous laughter and more than a bit of flirting. Not long after Loki's breathing had evened, Bruce found himself drifting into sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Bruce woke early, as he always did. The light of dawn was only just starting to filter into the room. He tensed as he realized there was a weight on his chest. Slowly opening his eyes, he remembered that he hadn't fallen asleep alone. Loki's head was resting on his chest. He rubbed the sleep from his face and looked down at the demigod. The sight was horrifying.

Loki's hair was long and scraggly again, which was easy enough to justify. What couldn't be justified was the sickly hue of his skin, the deep bags under his eyes, or how hollow his cheeks were. The hand that was clutching Bruce's t-shirt was bony as well. Bruce shivered, wrapping his arms around Loki as his mind raced. Loki's entire body flinched at the contact, but he didn't wake.

Very carefully, so as not to wake the man on top of him, Bruce reached for his cell phone of the night stand. He sent Tony a quick text warning him that he was going to need him to distract Loki later.

' _Laying the groundwork for a 3some already? :P_ ' was the reply. Bruce smiled at it, laying the phone back down, wrapping his arm back around Loki, and trying to fall back into a fitful sleep.

* * *

After the Chitauri attack, Tony had to redesign the damaged tower. Still high off the adrenaline rush and the success of the team, he planned it to be able to hold all of the Avengers. This included both private apartments and communal areas. Aside from Bruce, Clint and Natasha had been the only ones to take him up on the offer, and they stayed in it sparingly between missions. After SHIELD went down, Clint had fallen out of contact. Something about tracksuits and accidentally buying an apartment building. Natasha was helping Steve find someone from his past.

The empty rooms haunted Tony. It was something they never spoke about. At that moment, it was also fortunate. It gave Bruce a very good set up for how Loki and Tony could be in the same room by coincidence.

When Bruce woke up properly, Loki was already awake. Once again he looked as healthy as he always did, and for a moment Bruce allowed himself to believe it had been a nightmare. The fear nagged at him, though. So after showering (separately) and dressing, Bruce brought Loki to the communal kitchen and began cooking breakfast. He made enough food to feed an army, spurned on by the memory of just how skeletal Loki had looked when his guard was down.

As he was serving the food, Tony “just happened” to come down as well. He poured himself a bowl of cereal and sat at the other end of the island counter. Loki stiffened when he came in, and a tense silence fell.

“Stark,” Loki said casually.

“Yzma,” Tony replied. Bruce choked on a mouthful of eggs. Loki simply raised an eyebrow. “You know, you're looking pretty good for a corpse.”

“I moisturize,” Loki replied with a smirk.

Tony grinned despite himself, ducking his head to hide it. The two continued to exchange barbed banter, with Bruce mostly watching and hiding grins behind his hand. There was an edge to it, it was clear neither really trusted the other, but it went about as well as Bruce could have hoped.

About 15 minutes later, Bruce's phone buzzed. He took it out of his pocket and grimaced, quickly standing up. “It's from the lab down the block- one of the projects I helped them with isn't going right.” Tony raised his eyebrows at that, and Loki looked up at him uncertainly. Bruce placed a hand on Loki's shoulder, “I'm sorry, I have to go, it shouldn't take me more than an hour- but I understand if you don't want to wait.”

Loki shook his head, “That's fine.” He smirked at Tony, “I'm sure your landlord here will be happy to make sure I'm not up to anything.”

“ _Happy_ is a strong word,” Tony pointed out.

Bruce sighed, “If you two kill each other, I'm not cleaning it up.”

* * *

The entire way there, Bruce chided himself for being so suspicious. What he was doing was wrong. Occasionally his mind wandered to the absurdity of the situation. That morning had been incredibly comfortable. His prior experience with Loki was entirely based on the demigod's attempt to enslave mankind. There was really no reason that he should be casually joking with him. Or falling asleep with him.

Bruce parked his motorcycle a few blocks away and walked the rest of the distance, continuing to wrestle with his sense of guilt. Invading someone's privacy was something that Bruce was viscerally opposed to.

The hallway looked just as dingy as it had the last time, but this time Bruce was actually paying attention. Every surface was stained and cracked, the lights were past yellowing. He picked the lock to the door, swung it open, and felt his knees buckle.

It was considerably worse than he had imagined. As he had suspected, Loki had been placing a glamor on the apartment. He had expected a place that was a bit run down but still liveable, spruced up to meet Loki's standards.

Instead, it was completely decrepit. Threadbare carpet whose original color had been lost to stains, burns, and paint splatters covered the majority of the floor. In some places it had been torn up or worn away so completely as to reveal the filthy concrete under. There was an ancient couch in the corner, with tears in the fabric. The book case was there, but most of the shelves had broken and it only had a few worn books on it.

Bruce actually smiled when he saw the books. A few classics, 'A User's Guide for the 21st Century', Modern History, and a children's book of Norse myths that had a few pages torn out. He gently picked them up and placed them in his backpack before steeling himself for the rest of the apartment.

Everything was equally run-down, it looked as if no one had lived in it for at least a year. The bedroom was comprised of what must have once been a mattress and some fabric over the windows. Checking the light switches and faucets revealed that at least the utilities were still working, although the ancient pipes spat out rust-colored water. When Bruce looked into the refrigerator, his stomach lurched. The bags he had forgotten were still in there, with some of the food missing but the rest carefully preserved. There was no other food in the entire apartment. He had only been buying enough for one, maybe two, meals and Loki had been stretching it for days.

As he turned away from the fridge, rubbing his face and trying to calm the swirling storm of thoughts this was bringing up, he noticed the glass vase. The rose was still in it, covered with delicate ice crystals, beautifully preserved. He took off his jacket and wrapped the vase in it before placing it into his backpack as well. Those were the only belongings he had found in the entire apartment.

He leaned against one of the walls and called Tony.

“Big guy!” came the response, “Need my expertise on your “projects”?”

“Yeah, no surprise, I'm in over my head.”

“Alright, I'll just get down to the lab real quick.” Over the phone, Bruce heard the muffled sounds of Tony updating Loki on the situation. As he headed for the lab, a string of jokes about always needing his help filled the phone's earpiece. It stopped abruptly and Tony sighed, “How bad?”

“Worse than I thought, it's one of the worst places _I_ 've ever seen anyone live,” he replied quietly. Tony cursed on the other end and Bruce sighed. “I'm not leaving him here alone. I'm going to have to ask him to move in with me.”

There was a pause followed by a sharp, “ _No_.”

“Tony?”

“No, Bruce. I mean, sure, I can't stop you from doing it- well, I could, it's my tower- but I'm not that much of a dick. But if you do,” he took a deep breath, “Just, no, I can't. I'm not doing that, okay? I'm not dealing with limbo while you two _live_ together. If you do... I'm not... I won't...”

“Tony...”

“Just, no, I've got those spare apartments all set up, he can have Cap's- not like he's ever going to use it.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, that'll be fine, _someone_ may as well get some use out of it.”

“Thank you,” Bruce said, sagging against the wall, “Fuck, Tony, I didn't want him to live with me- I needed my own space even from you, and you I actually--” he stopped himself, “Thank you.”

Bruce could hear the relief when Tony said, “No problem, Big guy. Now get back here and save your princess already.”

“I love you.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

Bruce hung up and took a final look around the apartment before making his way back to his bike. Without his jacket the ride was going to be cold, but it wasn't long and it was nothing he couldn't handle.

* * *

When he got back to the tower, he found Loki still in the communal area, reading a book. Tony was nowhere to be found, presumably still in his lab. Bruce sighed heavily, not sure how to start this conversation.

He sat down on the chair next to Loki and rubbed his face.

“Work going that badly?” Loki asked gently.

Bruce smiled slightly at him, the guilt again tearing at him. He sighed heavily, “Actually... no,” he looked down at his backpack, “I... well, I lied about that.”

Loki raised an eyebrow at him. Bruce bit his lip. “I'm sorry,” he said, pulling the items out of his backpack and handing them to the demigod.

At first, he looked confused, then realization filled the demigod's eyes followed swiftly by rage. He snatched the vase and stared at it for a long moment before throwing it against the wall. Both the vase and rose shattered. He stood up and walked to the other side of the room, trembling, his hands in fists at his sides. With a gesture, a shock wave shot from him- slamming the furniture away and knocking Bruce to the floor.

“Loki,” he said weakly.

He felt a grumble in the back of his mind, causing a spurt of panic. Hulk couldn't come out now, it would ruin everything.

' _Mate hurt_.'

The response stunned him, then he realized it made sense. Hulk had always been much simpler, his world was black and white. Loki's name was on their shoulder- he was their soulmate. And, yes, he was hurting.

“ _Do not!_ ” the demigod shouted, turning to face him, “ _Do not speak to me!_ ” He took slow steps towards him and Bruce stayed frozen, completely at a loss for what to do. “How dare you, was this your intent all along? Gawk at the fallen prince?” he grabbed Bruce's collar, “I do not need your pity!”

“I'm sorry,” Bruce murmured as the rant continued. His eyes flashed green, body morphing. Mid-sentence, Loki realized what was happening, shoving Bruce away. It was too late, and giant green arms grabbed him before he could escape. Initially he screamed in terror, squirming and shooting off a few spells desperately. When that didn't work, and no harm came, he began kicking and shouting insults.

Hulk turned inwards in confusion, Bruce reassuring him that he was doing the right thing.

Gradually, Loki's raged simmered down until he was left crying silently in the Hulk's massive grip.

“Mate safe,” Hulk growled, as close to a comforting murmur as he could manage. Loki looked up in confusion, only then noticing his name on the massive green shoulder. He ran a hand over the letters and looked up at Hulk uncertainly. The green eyes faded back to brown and his body again began reforming itself, shrinking.

As the transformation ended, Bruce pulled Loki closer to him to hide the need to steady himself. Loki again traced his name over Bruce's shoulder.

“This is why you're doing this,” he said quietly.

Bruce shook his head, “I'm doing this because you deserve better.”

Loki collapsed at that, sobbing heavily. Bruce sat next to him and placed an arm around his shoulders, adjusting his pants so that he was still covered.

“I'm a monster,” Loki pointed out, sniffling slightly and drying his face with a fragment of Bruce's shirt.

Bruce squeezed his shoulder gently, “We all are.” Loki leaned his head against Bruce's shoulder. “We've all gotten second chances- all of the Avengers, and most people for that matter. You're getting a second chance and I want to see you do amazing things with it.”

“What if I can't?” Loki asked quietly.

“Then...” Bruce took a deep breath, “then I want to see you happy.” He smiled, “Preferably in a non-destructive way.”

Loki snorted at that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of the comments! I'm going through a rough patch right now and really appreciate your comments!


	4. Chapter 4

“Tony, you _need_ to fill out this paperwork, you're doing it now I'm not dealing with your excuses an--”

Pepper froze when she stepped into the room. Tony was nowhere to be found, but that was the least noteworthy aspect. The room had been absolutely trashed, all of the furniture had been thrown about, there was broken glass in at least one place that she could see. In the midst of everything was a nearly naked Bruce Banner, his pants stretched and torn, and a shivering, pale man with dark hair. They both had looked at her when she walked in, eyes widening in a synchronization that would have been humorous under different circumstances.

“Is that _Loki_?” she asked sharply, clutching the stylus as if it were a sword. 

Loki dipped his head at that. Bruce tightened his grip around his soulmate, gratefully noting that the name on his shoulder was hidden. “Yeah...  _that_ Loki. It's okay, I've got it handled.” 

She pursed her lips together. Turning on her heel she stalked out of the room, shouting after her, “Dr. Banner, follow me,  _now_ .”

Bruce sighed heavily and stood up. He offered a brief reassurance to Loki before taking the throw off of a toppled couch and wrapping it around himself.

“I'm sorry,” Loki said quietly, “I'll go.”

“ _No_ ,” Bruce said too harshly, sagging back into himself when Loki flinched. “Please don't, you can if you want to, I- _we_ won't stop you, but please stay.”

Loki stared at him for a long moment before just nodding.

* * *

 

Bruce shuffled out of the room, not overly surprised to find Pepper standing at the counter of the communal kitchen. Her entire body was tense and she was glaring at the floor. When the door closed behind Bruce, she didn't look up.

“Talk,” she said hoarsely.

“I--” Bruce wasn't entirely sure what to say.

“Does Tony know?” she interrupted.

“Know what?” Tony asked, stepping into the room and raising an eyebrow at the scene. He ran a hand through his hair, “Yes. Yes I do.” Pepper snapped her head up and stared at him with a horrified look. Tony sighed, “His eyes are green.”

“Excuse me?” Pepper asked icily. Behind her, Bruce just frowned and wished he had a mirror.

“They weren't, when,” he waved his hand, “They were blue. Like Clint's.” Bruce's eyes widened at that. “This is a different Loki, Pep, he deserves a second chance and he needs a place to stay.” He looked over at Bruce, “Besides- Hulk handled him fine before, I'm sure he could now.”

“He can,” Bruce mumbled awkwardly.

Pepper stared between the two of them as she processed the information. After a long moment she said, “Place to stay?” Tony just crossed his arms and nodded. She took a deep breath, “You are absolutely insane, Tony.” The woman picked up her tablet and made a few quick strokes with her stylus. “I was already considering getting an apartment out of the tower,” she paused and made a few more strokes, “I just bought one, I'm moving into it within the hour. You will double check the security protocols to the rest of the tower, he will only be allowed in the Avengers' portions, he is not allowed on Stark Industries proper.” She shot Tony a harsh look, “Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal,” Tony replied. Pepper quickly walked out of the room, refusing to look at either of them.

After she left, Bruce tilted his head to the side. “Jarvis?”

“... _Yes, Dr. Banner?_ ” the AI replied quietly. Tony looked up at the tone.

“Did you tell Pepper that Tony was still in that room so she would find out what was going on?”

There was a long pause, “ _I was mistaken about Master Stark's location_ .”

Tony grimaced but Bruce held his hand up. “Thank you, Jarvis, she did need to know. I'm glad you did that.”

“ _Thank you, Dr. Banner_.” 

Tony sighed heavily, “You're right, you're right, you're always right.” He went to wrap his arms around Bruce, stopping at the last moment with an eye roll. “She needed to know, this is... this is exactly why we didn't work out.” He looked Bruce over with a frown, “So...?”

Bruce felt his face heat up and he shrugged while pulling the throw tighter around him. “Loki needed a hug, and the Other Guy was better at giving it.”

Tony stared at him for a very long moment, “You hulked out to give Loki a _hug_?” He rubbed his cheek.

“And he was really good about it. Hulk, I mean. Loki was in the middle of a temper tantrum and thought we were going to kill him,” Bruce looked down at the floor, “It's not a big deal.”

Tony raised his eyebrows then shook his head. Finally he held up his hands, “Alright, I'm getting back to my lab- you get back to your boy, it is absolutely unfair to be around me dressed like that.”

He left before Bruce could say anything, leaving the physicist still wrapped in a blanket. With a heavy sigh, Bruce went back to the living room and was relieved to see Loki still there. The furniture had been rearranged and the glass cleaned up, and the demigod was thumbing through one of his books.

Bruce let out a breath, only then realizing that he wasn't sure if Loki would still be there.

“I, um, I'm going to go get dressed then I can show you your apartment,” Bruce said quietly.

Loki looked up at him and raised an eyebrow, “ _My_ apartment?”

“Yeah,” he said with a shrug, “Tony has some spare ones in this section of the tower, it's no problem for you to use it.” He rubbed the back of his neck, “I mean... if you want.”

Loki stared at him for a very long moment, “I don't understand.” He looked down at the book in his hand, the Norse mythology book that proved _Midgard_ knew his true parentage before even he. “I'm a monster, I tried to enslave your people, I attempted genocide, I...”

Bruce sighed heavily, “Still deserve better.” Loki frowned at him and he just shrugged. “Look, this isn't a conversation I'm willing to have naked, okay?”

* * *

 

When Bruce returned to his own apartment, his own bedroom, to get dressed he was hit by the post-Hulk weariness. There was nothing he wanted more than to crawl into bed and collapse for a few hours. Instead, he managed to pull on some clothes, jeans and a t-shirt because he couldn't be bothered with buttons, and made his way back out.

“This way,” Bruce said when he saw Loki, motioning to the stair case.

“Are you alright?” the demigod asked, frowning at Bruce's appearance.

Bruce nodded, “Hulking out takes a lot out of me, I'll be fine.” Loki furrowed his brow at that but said nothing.

They made their way to the floor above the common area, a hallway with two doors and the elevator at the end. Bruce asked Jarvis to unlock the door and the AI did with an air of reluctance. Bruce looked in quickly to make sure everything was as it should be. Unsurprisingly, it was. It looked like the show room of a country house. Absolutely pristine, decorated with vintage furniture and soft lights that gave it a cozy feel unlike any other part of the tower. With the curtains over the picture windows, it was almost possible to forget they were on a high floor of a NYC sky scraper. Bruce sighed heavily, fully realizing just how much work Tony had put into the apartment and wondering if he truly was okay with Loki, of all people, using it.

Now was not the time to fix it, though. Bruce was practically sleep-walking and just needed to get Loki settled so he could sleep. He motioned into the room, managing a half smile as he tried not to make it obvious that he was leaning on the door.

Loki raised an eyebrow, “You don't _look_ fine.” He walked in and looked around the room with a detached air, running a hand over the couch. “It will do, it is a step up from my most recent accommodations.” Bruce snorted at that. Loki pursed his lips, but didn't argue. After a long moment that had Bruce half dozing on his feet, Loki finally crumpled into himself again. “I just don't understand- why would you do this? I'm a monster. I tried to enslave your people, I attempted genocide, I've done horrible things.”

“Sounds like you haven't been too successful at any of that,” Bruce mumbled.

Loki just scowled at that, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and leading him to the bedroom. “Oh, will you just get some sleep already? _Honestly._ ”

* * *

 

Bruce woke up with the headache and gnawing hunger that always followed a Hulk Out. For a moment, he couldn't remember what had happened. Then there was the concern that he didn't know where he was. At least he was dressed. As he woke up more, he remembered enough to assume he was safe.

He got out of bed, smoothed his hair as best he could with his hand, and made his way out of the room. Loki was curled up on the couch, asleep. Again the glamor had slipped and he looked ghastly, and Bruce just placed a blanket over him. When he stirred, Bruce felt his stomach lurch.

“Ah, you're awake,” Loki said quietly. His magic again returned him to his usual glory, and he sat up with a confused look at the blanket.

“I am, and I'm starving,” Bruce said nervously, “What time is it?”

' _It is currently 8 am_ ,' Jarvis replied, causing Loki to jump slightly.

They made their way down to the communal kitchen, as the apartment kitchen had not been stocked. The smell of food greeted them and Bruce smiled to see Tony laying out take out containers along the island counters.

“Hey, sleeping beauty,” Tony said, not looking up and fidgeting with the eggs considerably more than was called for.

“Is this a common occurrence?” Loki asked quietly, attempting to maintain a detached air as his eyes eagerly roved over the food.

Bruce nodded with a small smile, “Yeah, Tony does this every time the Other Guy comes out. One time he tried cooking himself, but he didn't like the results. I thought they were fine.” Bruce almost placed a hand on Tony's shoulder before stopping himself.

“Jarvis deemed them unfit for human consumption,” Tony reminded him.

“Good thing I'm mostly radioactive rage monster, then,” Bruce replied with a grin.

Tony smiled at him before shaking his head. “Well, I already ate, I've got work to do, so I'll get out of your hair.”

“Oh, okay,” Bruce said quietly, sighing as he watched Tony leave. As soon as he sat down, hunger overcame him and he dug into the nearest container. After he was halfway done with it, he noticed Loki was just sitting there, body tense and staring out the window. Bruce swallowed the mouthful with difficulty and said, “There's enough for you, too.” Loki looked over at him and raised an eyebrow. It wasn't until Bruce returned his attention to eating that Loki picked up a fork and began eating as well.

When Bruce had finally eaten his fill, very few leftovers remained. The thought that he probably should have felt self-conscious about that display crossed his mind but failed to take hold. A silence settled over them for a long while, Loki playing with a strawberry with a fork.

Eventually, it was broken with, “When were you going to tell me about Tony?” Bruce stiffened then relaxed, throwing him a confused look. Loki rolled his eyes. “I'm not _blind_ , Dr. Banner- you know exactly what I mean.”

Bruce nodded, rubbing his face and choosing his words carefully. “I suppose... when it mattered.” Loki frowned at that and Bruce just shrugged, “Right now, we're... taking a break, until I get this whole thing sorted out. And right now it just doesn't matter. Even if you were fine with being with me while I was also with Tony- I'm really not ready to have a relationship with you, and I think Tony needs more time to sort himself out as well,” he sighed, “And if you weren't okay with that, it would break my heart but I'm still going to do my best to help you. It just doesn't matter.”

Loki returned his attention to the strawberry on his plate, cutting it into small pieces and pushing them around.

“You love him?”

“Very much.”

“Then why aren't you with him while helping me?” Loki asked with a frown, “I realize we're soulmates but you seem to think that doesn't matter.”

Bruce rubbed his chin at that, considering the words. Loki was right, he was trying very, very had to insist being soulmates didn't matter. Gradually he offered a small smile, “I suppose... it's not that they don't matter at all, but that I don't _want_ them to matter.” When Loki didn't respond, he continued. “I think... I think that I would want to help you whether we were soulmates or not, I want to be that kind of person.”

He put his face on his hands and shook his head, “But I know that if we weren't, I wouldn't even be considering this- Tony and I would never have taken a break. So, yeah, it _does_ matter.”

“Then just go back to him,” Loki said sharply.

“No...” Bruce said with a wry smile, “For once in my life, I'm going to be selfish and try to get _everything_ I want.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, this is not a very good note for Valentine's day, is it? Poor Pep does not deserve this crap.
> 
> When I first started posting this, I already had two chapters finished. I'd had a bit of a buffer and was trying to post every 5 days. Well, that buffer is officially gone. I know where this story is going, but I don't know when I'll be able to write it down. I hope to manage every 5 days, but I can't make any promises.
> 
> (On an utterly unrelated note: Seriously, does anyone know how to get a decent job? I'm having absolutely no luck. :( )


	5. Chapter 5

Bruce took time to himself for a few hours while Loki continued to get acquainted with “his” apartment. Bruce bathed, checked on his research, and tried to re-evaluate his life. As he began to feel more like himself, something that Loki had said right before he fell asleep drifted into his head. Eventually it consumed his thoughts, until he finally returned to the demigod's apartment.

When he knocked, there was a long pause before Loki finally opened the door. The demigod raised an eyebrow before motioning for him to come in. The apartment looked exactly the same as it had when Bruce had left, aside from the TV remote that had been moved from beside the TV to the coffee table.

After a long, uncomfortable pause, Bruce finally said, “Last night you said you attempted genocide- what did you mean?”

Loki tensed at that, before he willed himself to relax with obvious effort. “Oh,” he said, “I thought you would have forgotten about that.”

“Afraid not.”

Loki nodded at that, pulling slightly at his sleeves, “It was before I came to this planet. Not long after Thor returned from being banished. It was against...” he took a deep breath before continuing, “It was against the Frost Giants. Nasty creatures that have been Asgard's enemy since well before my time,” he pursed his lips, “I thought if I destroyed them, I would prove my right to the throne.”

Bruce rubbed his chin for a moment, “Didn't Thor say he was banished for doing roughly the same thing?” Loki stiffened at that but said nothing in reply. When it became clear that Loki had no intention of elaborating, Bruce broke the silence. “What's so awful about the Frost Giants, exactly? You both seem to hate them.”

“They're monsters,” Loki spat. He glared at the floor and his entire body shook. “Uncivilized brutes who care only for destruction. They're the monsters parents tell their children about at night.”

Bruce watched him for a long moment before quietly saying, “Have you ever actually met one? Off of the battlefield? Properly spoken to one?”

The demigod froze as expressions passed across his face too quickly to name. Finally, his shoulders drooped and he was left looking utterly defeated. “No.”

Bruce uncertainly placed a hand on Loki's back. “It's alright, everyone gets taught crap like that- you can learn better.”

The demigod sat motionless and it was a few minutes before Bruce noticed what was happening. His hands had turned an icy blue that caused a sting of panic in Bruce's mind. The same blue started traveling up Loki's neck and face, ridges raising across his skin, his eyes turning red.

“Loki?” Bruce asked softly, his mind desperately searching for an explanation.

“This is my true form,” he said gently, staring at his hands, “Odin found me on Jottunheim and... _adopted_ me, disguising me as his own kin. He taught me to hate what I am, I've never even met another Frost Giant.”

Bruce's hands fidgeted slightly. His scientific mind itched to know more. The rest of him knew what it was to be treated like a lab rat. When the silence stretched into uncomfortable and Loki's shaking frame began to get a little more violent, Bruce opened his mouth and, “You're still beautiful,” tumbled out.

The two stared at each other in surprise. Gradually, the blue faded and Loki returned to his regular form. With a small smile he flexed his hands, “If you say so.”

* * *

 

The next day, Bruce finally returned to the lab. Initially, it was stunted and uncomfortable. Both men half-avoiding each other and completely unsure of how to proceed. It was far worse than when they had first met, when Bruce was set on keeping his distance from Tony and Tony was hell-bent on closing the gap.

It was impossible for the two to keep it up, though, and before long they had fallen back into their easy rapport. The lure of science and invention was just too strong for either of them to be distracted by their convoluted love life. At times it was still uncomfortable, they both had to stop themselves from crossing certain lines, but it was mostly back to the way it had been.

The hours blurred together, and it was a few days later that Loki finally decided to find out what they were doing. He was loosely aware of Jarvis, but found the omnipresent voice unnerving. Instead, he turned to his magic to locate them.

The two men were asleep in the lab. Bruce drowsing over a notebook, Tony draped over one of his robots. Loki glanced around the area, taking in the mess of equipment, and noticed a couch against one of the walls. With a snort, he gently moved both of the men to the couch. Almost immediately, they curled into each other.

For a long moment, Loki watched them, waiting for the wave of envious rage to crash over him. Only a small trickle made its way into his mind. With a frown, he draped a blanket over them and returned to his quarters.

* * *

 

The next few weeks passed in much the same way. Bruce made sure that Loki was at least eating, and he finally let himself relax after seeing the sleeping demigod looked almost identical to his waking self. The two scientists spent more time in the lab than was healthy, as they always did, managing to keep the new boundaries. Tony was still called away often enough, for Stark Industries business and Iron Man business.

One night, Loki and Bruce were watching TV in Loki's apartment (Loki had been trying to get up to speed on pop culture). They talked and laughed easily and Bruce found himself leaning over to kiss the demigod. Loki quickly placed a hand on his lips and Bruce blushed, jerking away.

“You're right, sorry, I shouldn't have done that...” he muttered, running a hand through his head.

“I'm ready to give you my answer,” Loki said quietly, examining his fingernails. Bruce looked up with a questioning look. “I'm not okay with it- you being with both me and Tony.”

“Oh,” Bruce said quietly. He stared through the TV.

“Are you upset?”

Bruce shook his head and finally looked at Loki. “I'm disappointed it's not going to work, I knew I was going to be, but I'm glad you were honest with me. I just... have to process this.”

They finished the evening in silence.

* * *

 

“So,” Bruce was not entirely sure how to start this conversation. It was the next day, he and Tony were back in the lab, and there didn't seem to be a good way to start this. “Loki and I finally talked and,” he gestured.

“And it turns out having your cake and eating it too only works when your me?” Tony asked with a smirk. His smile faltered. “So.”

“I'm not surprised,” Bruce said with a shrug, unable to make eye contact, “It was pretty insane to even entertain the idea,” he shifted slightly, “Maybe now things can go back to normal, though.”

“Whatever that is,” Tony agreed, running his hand through his hair, “You should be with him.”

Bruce looked up, finally looking straight at Tony. The man was brutally honest, no hint of joking in his eyes. It was a rare occurrence.

“You'll regret it if you don't,” Tony pointed out, turning back to his calculations. “He's your soulmate- I don't want you to live with a lifetime of 'what if's.”

“But I love you,” Bruce muttered, sounding too much like a petulant child for his liking.

“I'm not going anywhere, Big Guy,” Tony pointed out without looking up, “We knew we'd have to deal with this someday- let's get it over with.” With a wrist motion, he cranked his rock music up to ear-splitting volume that he usually reserved for working alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not happy with this chapter. Not the content so much as the pacing. It's very rushed and I couldn't figure out how to get the pacing to sort itself out better. I'm just posting it as is rather than spending forever trying to fix it- it's hardly the worst thing ever, and I need to move on to the rest of the story. 
> 
> Thank you for your patience, everyone! :)


	6. Chapter 6

Bruce spent a week in his lab. Not in Tony's lab, which was always filled with noise and movement and bouncing ideas off each other. His lab, the lab Tony had set aside for him back when he was still nervous that the physicist wouldn't be able to put up with him. The lab that had sat mostly unused, save by a few other Stark Industries researchers who needed to use the equipment. He wouldn't be able to shift most of his projects to the lab easily, but he could monitor them from afar and work on other things here.

While on the run, he had mastered various methods of meditation. But lab work was his true meditation. It allowed him to push all other thoughts from his mind, step away from his emotions, and focus entirely on his work. It was the same reason Tony threw himself into his projects as well, although he doubted the engineer was conscious of it.

And right now, he had a lot to sort out.

For all Tony's pushing, ultimately it was Bruce's choice. He could just choose not to be with Loki, not to deal with the complications. Maybe Tony would gradually come around and things would go back to the way they had been, if not Bruce could manage alone. He'd always known that he could lose Tony at any time. Whether due to a battle, an experiment gone wrong, or Steve showing up- their relationship was temporary. He'd spent many years alone, never seriously considering romance, he could do it again.

It was actually a comforting prospect. There was security in loneliness. It would be painful, but a pain he knew very well. Perhaps Loki would just leave and perhaps Bruce would, too, disappear again to fill his time with people who needed far more help than any one person could give.

Being with Loki, that was the terrifying prospect. There were so many unknowns. From what he'd seen, Loki was even more wounded and unstable than either Tony or Bruce. What would happen when that was more than Bruce could handle? What would happen when Bruce's demons got the better of him? What would happen if Loki turned evil again, would Hulk still take him down or would he join forces? What would happen if everything turned out okay and two monsters managed to find happiness together?

There were a million reasons it was a bad idea, and Bruce came up with every one of them. Every time he had to pause to let a simulation run or reaction happen, the reasons came. By the end of the week he felt certain that being with Loki was the worst choice he could possibly make.

“Knock knock.”

The words sounded out of place, after a week with only the humming of machinery and his own mutterings. Bruce looked up, surprised to see Tony carrying a take-out bag and paper mug.

“Hadn't seen you in awhile, JARVIS said you'd been holed up in here- wanted to check you were eating,” Tony explained with a lop-sided grin. He placed the food down on the nearest surface, not bothering to look at what was already there, and crossed his arms. “Would've thought you'd be, y'know, getting to know your soulmate a little better.”

Bruce shook his head, “No, I realized that was a horrible idea.”

“Huh.”

“It is,” Bruce insisted, “There's too many unknowns, too many ways for it to end badly, it makes much more sense to not take the risk.”

“So, what you're gonna go back to holing up and avoiding people?” Tony asked, opening the bag and fishing a fry out. Bruce didn't respond, but he didn't need to. “Y'know, there's a difference between a horrible idea and one that scares you.” He jabbed the fry in Bruce's direction before eating it.

“I'm not scared,” Bruce snapped. One pointed look from Tony and his whole body sagged. “It's _Loki_ I'm... _me_ , being scared is the only sensible thing to be.”

“Didn't say you shouldn't be scared- but that doesn't make it a bad idea,” Tony replied, waving another fry in the air as he did. “Remember when we met? I told you to strut. I told you to get the hell out of your comfort zone- which, yeah, is scary as crap, especially for someone like you, but you still needed to do it. And you need to do this.”

“This is hardly the same thing,” Bruce muttered, turning to his computer screen as a _ding_ alerted him that a simulation was finished.

Tony shrugged at that. “Look, I know you- you want to go run and hide because it's what you know. But this is your soulmate, and _you_ deserve to take this chance.”

“So if Steve comes back, you'll be running to his arms, then?” Bruce didn't turn around, he could imagine the hurt expression that would quickly be masked with a disinterested sneer.

“If we can stand to be in the same room without killing each other- sure, why the fuck not?”

The only sounds in the room were the whirring of machinery. After a few minutes passed, Bruce heard the rustle of the paper bag and footsteps as Tony walked over to him. Bruce turned in time for Tony to shove the bag in his hands.

“You've already proven you can handle him if things go bad. And I can keep an eye on you just in case- so stop being such a fricking coward and say 'yes' already.”

Tony held Bruce's gaze for a long moment before turning and walking out of the room.

* * *

 

The week had dragged on. Of course the good doctor would agonize over the decision, as if it hadn't been made well before Loki had even made contact with him. It was hardly the worst injustice that the demigod had ever had to bare, although it was still an unpleasant wait.

Finally he showed up. He was dressed as he usually was, button down top and slacks that were slightly too big, fidgeting nervously.

“Sorry I disappeared,” he said, running a hand through his hair, “It's kind of... a thing I do.”

“I expected it,” Loki said quietly, smoothing a hand over his suit jacket.

Bruce made a noncommital noise before barreling on, “I suppose we should go out again- I'm afraid Pepper won't be willing to give me anymore advice,” he gave a half-hearted laugh, “But if there's anywhere you're interested in, that'll be fine.”

“I beg your pardon?” Loki asked, quickly attempting to hide his shock.

“I thought...” Bruce faltered, “Didn't you, I mean, if you don't want to, I just...”

“But you chose Tony.”

“I never said that.” For a moment, he wondered if Loki had somehow been listening in on the conversations.

“I'm not a fool, I see how you look at him, you were never going to choose me,” Loki spat.

Bruce sighed, “You're not going to get me to run into his arms. If you don't want me, well, I understand- believe me, I get it- but if you're willing to try, so am I.”

Loki softened slightly at that. “Why choose me?”

Bruce hesitated for a moment. “I didn't want having a soulmate to mean anything, but it does, and... I want to find out what it means.”

Loki watched him for a long moment. “Well, we've already went on one date catered to my interests, I suppose I should return the favor.”

“You really don't have to, I'll be fine with whatever you want,” Bruce insisted with a soft smile.

“And this is what I want to do,” Loki replied airily, “Perhaps going to that Farmer's Market you love going to so much then cooking dinner and a night in?”

“That,” Bruce paused, “Sounds great, actually.”

* * *

 

They agreed to have the date a few days later. In the interim, Bruce continued to stay in his own lab. Instead of holing up in it, though, he ventured out more regularly. He would, through JARVIS, check on Tony- occasionally bringing in food, which they ate together while brainstorming whatever it was Tony was working on, or dragging the stubborn engineer out and sending him to bed. He would also bring food to Loki, realizing that the demigod was still not confident of the place in his tower, refusing to ask JARVIS to stock his apartment and only sparingly taking from the communal kitchen.

Although the date began with both on edge, they both relaxed rather quickly. The casual setting was perfect for Bruce, and Loki enjoyed seeing the craftsmanship at the market.

After dinner, they settled in for a movie on the couch.

They started out sitting on opposite sides of the couch, gradually easing into each others' space. Eventually they were sitting together, Bruce looping an arm around Loki's shoulders and Loki leaning his head against Bruce. Loki's hand made its way to Bruce's leg, moving up his thigh as he turned and peppered soft kisses along Bruce's neck.

It was a nervous, excited dance. Each hesitating, pulling back, to be encouraged and sought by the other. Uncertainty and insecurity gradually gave way to lust.

* * *

 

This time, Loki found himself watching as Bruce slept. This was not what he had expected and it was difficult to process.

He had recognized the pain instantly. The shock of it had managed to fully numb the blows. It was possible he would have been able to dust himself off and walk away, but to find his soulmate in such a way... He had thought it a punishment. Life's last twist of the knife, reaffirming once again that there could be no happiness for the bastard son of a Jotun.

Although his pride would never let him admit it, it was desperation that drove him to meet his soulmate again. His time under the tesseract's power had left him far more drained than he'd realized, he had too little power to carry out his plans on Asgard and no one to turn to. Some part of him expected to be killed, even hoped for it. Perhaps he could even manage to tame the beast, the Hulk would be a powerful ally in future plots. If nothing else, he could have used his body to earn some semblance of comfort- it would not be the worst thing he had ever done.

Instead, the doctor had shown him nothing but kindness. Even the monster had revealed a gentle side. He was allowed to stay in comfort, fed and clothed and nothing had been asked for him in return. Bruce was even willing to give up a cherished relationship just for the chance to know him. Even when it came to intimacy, Bruce was unlike anyone Loki had known. Careful and gentle, visibly holding himself back to ensure Loki's comfort. In the past, sex had always been more a means to an end. A somewhat pleasant way to pass the time with one of the pretty sycophants who wanted the 'glory' of being in the bed of a Prince of Asgard. A means of persuasion. In recent times, yes, even bartering. This had been a genuine connection, being cared for by someone in a way that made Loki wish to care for him.

All because Loki's name was inscribed on his shoulder.

The demigod shifted, turning to look out the window at the lights of New York. He touched his hand to his shoulder.

This had not been what he had expected at all.


	7. In Conclusion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think it's safe to say that this isn't going to be updating any time soon. I am sorry. I have notes, I started working on the next chapter. A few months ago. So, here's what I've written. After it, I'll post the plot points I was planning to later introduce.

Sunlight streamed into the penthouse lounge, as it did every day. In the center of the room was the glass-covered crater. Tony had, of course, preserved it for posterity. He had tried to preserve the broken building that Hulk had used to slow Tony's fall, but after a long lecture about building codes and liability, he instead made due with the crater.

Initially, it was meant as a testament to the Hulk's (and Bruce's) worth. He had saved the day. He was a hero. Tony had always known it, known from the first time he read the files and reaffirmed it when he shook hands with the self-deprecating doctor.

Now.... well, now things were different.

Tony leaned against the bar and looked over the crater again, glass of scotch in his hand. Again he was considering actually repairing the floor. Since the originator of the crater had reappeared, the crater had lost its luster. Occasionally, Tony would get a vicious thrill from remembering what had happened, but it increasingly left a bitter taste in his mouth.

“ _Sir, Miss Potts is here to see you_.”

“Tell her I'm not here,” Tony muttered as the elevator door opened. Pepper rolled her eyes as she stepped out into the lounge, not looking up from her tablet. Tony scoffed, “Really, JARVIS? Two seconds notice? I'm starting to think I'm not your favorite anymore.”

“ _No one will ever take your place in my life, sir._ ”

“You're not dodging this,” Pepper said briskly, holding up the tablet and stylus, “I need your signa--” She stopped, looking him over and frowned. “What's wrong?”

“Who said anything was wrong?” he asked with a snort, bringing the glass to his lips and again hesitating.

Pepper pursed her lips, “Well, the tower's still in one piece, you haven't got your suit on, and there's been nothing in the news about alien armies- so I'm guessing that your house guest is behaving.” A grimace crossed Tony's face and she finally softened. “It's Bruce.”

Tony scoffed, finally tilting the glass back and draining it in one go. “What about Bruce? He's perfectly happy, finally has his soulmate, doing great on his independent work. Nothing wrong there.”

“Tony,” she said gently.

“So, you need this signed,” he insisted, grabbing the tablet and stylus, quickly flipping through the document, “Donation to some charity or other- orphans, always a good call- sounds good, sure,” he signed off and handed it back to her as he walked out of the room, “Tell them not to spend it all in one place, yeah?”

Pepper watched him go before quietly saying, “JARVIS?”

“ _Yes, Miss Potts?_ ”

“Find out if Rhodey can find his way here soon,” she said simply, pulling up her email as she walked back to the elevator. The doors opened for her.

“ _Of course, Miss Potts. And may I say, your presence has been missed._ ”

Pepper nodded, the corners of her lips turning up into a sad smile.

* * *

Things had been going well, better than either of them had actually expected. The relationship was still new and brought with it a flood of emotions. They were feeling out the relationship, skirting along the edges of the deep issues and fractures that both had. So far, nothing had gone horribly wrong.

Then sometimes the topic would drift too close to Bruce's work, or in a comfortable silence Loki would catch the wistful look on his face.

“You really miss him.”

“What?” Bruce asked, pulled out of his thoughts. Once he realized what Loki had said, he began to think of an objection. It died on his lips at Loki's unimpressed expression.

“And he misses you,” Loki added quietly, looking at his hands. When Bruce raised an eyebrow at him he simply waived a hand dismissively, “I've been keeping an eye on him while he works- everyone has their hobbies.”

“Basket-weaving too mainstream?” Bruce asked with a forced smile.

Loki did not acknowledge the comment, instead continuing, “You two love each other, yet you'd give that up- for me. Why?”

Bruce stared at him for a long moment. Excuses, justifications, compliments, a torrent of responses crashed into his mind and fell apart before he could even form the words. Gradually he licked his lips and said, “When we were fighting the Chitauri, I told Cap that my secret was that I'm always angry- what I didn't say, is that I'm also always scared. I run. It's what I do. It's what I know. I don't face problems, I run from them.”

He took a deep breath, and Loki raised an eyebrow at him. “So, when you came back- that's what I wanted to do. I wanted to run,” Bruce shrugged, pausing to clean his glasses, “Tony convinced me I'd regret it if I didn't give this a shot.”

“Stark--?” Loki asked, his face immediately going blank.

“Yup,” Bruce said with a half-hearted smile. “I'm glad that he did, but honestly- I would never have had the guts to do this. I'm so afraid of losing anything good, that I'd rather just...”

“Not have it,” Loki finished quietly, pursing his lips. He stood up and smoothed his hands over his pants. “I need to think about this,” he said before walking out of the room.

* * *

“ _Sir, Master... Loki_ ,” the AI began with a distasteful tone, “ _wishes to see you_ .”

“Tell him I'm not home,” Tony growled back.

“I'm afraid he's most insistent,” Loki replied with a smirk, leaning against the table behind Tony. The engineer looked over his shoulder and grimaced, returning to his work and turning up the music with a flick of the wrist. JARVIS grumbled an objection to Loki's presence and Tony's attempts to ignore them, which Tony also ignored.

For a few minutes, Loki watched with amused detachment. Gradually, his smile fell. As Tony persisted in ignoring him, his lips pressed together into a thin line and he finally raised a hand and snapped his fingers.

Tony spun on his heel, “What the _hell_ did you do to my computer?” He gestured at the holographic screens that were frozen in mid-air wildly.

“Nothing that I cannot easily undo,” Loki replied tersely, “Now. We need to speak.”

“Do we?” Tony growled, turning back to the screens to try and get a response. “Jarvis?” He blinked, “J, c'mon, help me out here...”

* * *

**To Wrap Up:**

This conversation continues, with difficulty. Eventually Tony finally admits that he cares about Bruce and knew that Bruce needed to do this- even though it hurt him. Loki acknowledges this and admits that he's willing to let Tony and Bruce return to their relationship. He won't admit it, but he had expected Bruce to choose Tony and realized he didn't truly want to destroy what they had.

He tells Bruce this. Tony drags Bruce back to his bedroom- whether or not I had the guts to write a steamy scene is up to your imagination.

Tony is still annoyed, feeling like Loki had been playing mind games and still not willing to trust him.

Some time later:

The three are in a comfortable enough balance. Bruce feels spread a bit thin, Loki and Tony don't know what they are to each other beyond boyfriend's boyfriend, there are obviously hiccups. But as good as you can expect from Bruce trying to balance a relationship with those two.

Steve and Natasha show up, with Bucky in tow. They need help undoing the programming, and with the fall of SHIELD and everything else, they feel Tony and Bruce are their best bet. Natasha doesn't realize that Tony and Steve are soulmates- Steve only told her about Bucky.

Tony, as usual, pretends it doesn't bother him. Bruce gives them the cold shoulder. This isn't massively unusual behavior for either of them, but Natasha obviously realizes something is off.

Alone in the lab, with Bucky strapped to the table and unconscious, Tony and Bruce banter about how they could do things wrong, how they could get back at Steve. They run all the tests they can, though.

Natasha comes in to check on them, slipping in silently and surprising them. They insist they're just waiting on some results, they probably won't know anything until the next day and to just get some sleep. Natasha lingers for a moment before leaving. She goes to confront Steve, having overheard enough to know what was going on. Steve refuses to hear it.

Loki brings dinner to the lab, where Tony and Bruce are arguing over the test results. They're getting nowhere. With some cajoling, Loki gets them to sit down on the other side of the lab to eat, even gets them on another conversational track. As they're eating, one of them looks over and notices Loki working some kind of magic over Bucky. They go over, and Loki explains that he can help find the source of the problem and potentially even fix it.

The next day, Loki is attempting to work on the problem. Bruce and Tony are in their section of the lab, still evaluating their own results. JARVIS attempts to get their attention, but is interrupted by a racket of noise. Natasha had come in and found Loki over Bucky. This is, of course, a disaster. Natasha had immediately notified Steve, who comes rushing in.

It starts out as a full on fight. Blows are thrown, magic tossed around. Tony quickly suits up. They manage to avoid a Hulk out and when the dust settles, they find themselves in the boxing ring of the gym. They realize Loki has magicked them there, and they start a shouting match. Natasha obviously brings up Clint. Bruce lays into Steve for leaving Tony the way he did. Steve defends himself and insults Tony for trusting Loki. Tony snaps back, defending Loki.

JARVIS announces that Bucky has awoken and asked for Steve.

They silently come to a very tense truce, making their way to the lab. Bucky is sitting up, the lab is otherwise empty. Steve and Bucky reunite as Bruce runs a few tests. Tony isn't there. Natasha watches on with a stony face.

Tony retreates to his penthouse, emotions swirling uncomfortably. Loki is waiting for him there, and thanks Tony for defending him. Tony tries to brush it off by saying he didn't realize Loki was listening and Loki assures him that he was keeping an ear out, prepared to step in in case he was needed. They both realize how close they've grown, but part ways before it goes anywhere.

Steve and Natasha begrudgingly thank Loki for his assistance, Bucky has recovered more than they had hoped and can be moved to a safe house. They agree to keep Loki's presence a secret- but promise they'll be keeping a close watch and will react at the first sign of problems.

 

* * *

 

More drabble-ish bits:

-Thor returns. Loki refuses to let him know he's there, so Bruce and Tony interact with him somewhat awkwardly. At one point, Thor mentions his brother's tendency to swap sex. When Loki finds out they know, he panics, but Tony and Bruce assure him they don't mind.

-Lady!Loki attends a scientific conference with Tony, Bruce attends but is not officially associated with them. In his female form, Loki is anonymous and Bruce still can't stand the spotlight. Bruce runs into Betty. They reconnect, his feelings for her resurface and he nearly runs away with her again. He catches Loki's eye and comes to his senses, realizes that as much as he loves Betty they've become too dangerous for each other. He tells her this, and she agrees, admitting that she's married to Leonard. They part as friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Thank you for your support and patience! I hope that this is satisfying enough of a conclusion, I tried to make it an enjoyable read despite being brief.
> 
> I am sorry that I wasn't able to properly finish this. While fleshing out the summary I was tempted to a few times, and perhaps one day I will, but with as long as it's taken me- I just don't think it's going to happen right now. I'm going to try to do this with my other unfinished fics as well. I know I hate coming across a fic I enjoy and never getting to see how it ends.

**Author's Note:**

> The soulmark style is based off of [Suck, In Fragments](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2577671/chapters/5736128) by [CrumblingAsh](http://archiveofourown.org/users/CrumblingAsh/pseuds/CrumblingAsh). Apparently it's the go-to for "worst ways to meet your soulmate" fics.
> 
> I'm not really sure where this is going it just kind of is.  
> Steve's snapshot was solely thrown in because he was coming off as a dick and I wanted to explain his logic. So expect it to somehow be foreshadowing to Bucky being thrown into the mix and this being a weird zig-zag-y mess of a poly relationship. Apparently that's how my brain rolls.
> 
> (I think the saddest thing here is that I'm still trying really hard to write for [Secrets](http://archiveofourown.org/works/508453/chapters/895304) even though I actually KNOW where that's going)


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